Philip Ahn

Philip Ahn

Date of Birth:

Mar 29, 1905

Place of Birth:

Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philip Ahn (born Pil Lip Ahn (안필립), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a Korean American actor. He was the first Korean American film actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Ahn's first film was A Scream in the Night in 1935. He appeared in the Bing Crosby film Anything Goes, though director Lewis Milestone had initially rejected him because his English was too good for the part. His first credited roles came in 1936 in The General Died at Dawn and Stowaway, opposite Shirley Temple. He starred opposite Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai (1937) and King of Chinatown (1937).

During World War II, Ahn often played Japanese villains in war films. Mistakenly thought to be Japanese, he received several death threats. He enlisted in the United States Army, having served in the Special Services as an entertainer. He was discharged early because of an injured ankle and returned to making films.

Ahn appeared in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Around the World in Eighty Days, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Paradise, Hawaiian Style, with Elvis Presley. He got to play Korean characters in Korean War movies such as Battle Circus (1953) and Battle Hymn (1956).  In 1952, Ahn made his television debut on the Schlitz Playhouse, a series he would make three additional appearances on. Ahn would also be cast in four episodes of ABC's Adventures in Paradise, four episodes of the ABC/Warner Brothers crime drama Hawaiian Eye, and the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. He made three appearances each on Crossroads, Bonanza, and M*A*S*H. He would also appear in two television movies.

Ahn's most notable television role was as "Master Kan" on the television series Kung Fu. A Presbyterian, Ahn felt that the Taoist homilies his character quoted did not contradict his own religious faith.

filmography:

China's Little Devils China's Little Devils

1945

China Corsair China Corsair

1951

The Good Earth The Good Earth

1937

State Department: File 649 State Department: File 649

1949

December 7th December 7th

1943

His Majesty O'Keefe His Majesty O'Keefe

1954

Ship Ahoy Ship Ahoy

1942

China Venture China Venture

1953

They Were Expendable They Were Expendable

1945

A Scream in the Night A Scream in the Night

1935

One-Eyed Jacks One-Eyed Jacks

1961

Behind the Rising Sun Behind the Rising Sun

1943

Around the World Around the World

1943

Yesterday's Enemy Yesterday's Enemy

1959

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture

1949

Submarine Raider Submarine Raider

1942

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack The Adventures of Smilin' Jack

1943

Roaring Timber Roaring Timber

1937

The General Died at Dawn The General Died at Dawn

1936

Don Winslow of the Coast Guard Don Winslow of the Coast Guard

1943

Let's Get Tough Let's Get Tough

1942

I Was an American Spy I Was an American Spy

1951

The Cobra Strikes The Cobra Strikes

1948

Shock Corridor Shock Corridor

1963

Across the Pacific Across the Pacific

1942

Battle Zone Battle Zone

1952

Jump Into Hell Jump Into Hell

1955

North of Shanghai North of Shanghai

1939

The Karate Killers The Karate Killers

1967

The Tuttles of Tahiti The Tuttles of Tahiti

1942

The Killer Who Wouldn't Die The Killer Who Wouldn't Die

1976

Dragon Seed Dragon Seed

1944

They Met in Bombay They Met in Bombay

1941

Fair Wind to Java Fair Wind to Java

1953

Singapore Singapore

1947

God Is My Co-Pilot God Is My Co-Pilot

1945

Klondike Annie Klondike Annie

1936

The Great Impostor The Great Impostor

1960

Forever Yours Forever Yours

1945

The Way to the Gold The Way to the Gold

1957

Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paradise, Hawaiian Style

1966

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday The Amazing Mrs. Holliday

1943

Disputed Passage Disputed Passage

1939

The Purple Heart The Purple Heart

1944

Cocoon Cocoon

1968

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon

1972

The Sickle or the Cross The Sickle or the Cross

1949

King of Chinatown King of Chinatown

1939

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

1955

Halls of Montezuma Halls of Montezuma

1951

Confessions of an Opium Eater Confessions of an Opium Eater

1962

Thank You, Mr. Moto Thank You, Mr. Moto

1937

Target Hong Kong Target Hong Kong

1953

The Chinese Ring The Chinese Ring

1947

China Girl China Girl

1942

A Yank on the Burma Road A Yank on the Burma Road

1942

Daughter of Shanghai Daughter of Shanghai

1937

A Girl Named Tamiko A Girl Named Tamiko

1962

China Passage China Passage

1937

China China

1943

Hong Kong Confidential Hong Kong Confidential

1958

Back to Bataan Back to Bataan

1945

Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts

1937

Stowaway Stowaway

1936

Charlie Chan in Honolulu Charlie Chan in Honolulu

1938

Macao Macao

1952

Impact Impact

1949

Hell's Half Acre Hell's Half Acre

1954

Betrayal from the East Betrayal from the East

1945

Japanese War Bride Japanese War Bride

1952

The Keys of the Kingdom The Keys of the Kingdom

1944

Intrigue Intrigue

1947

The Left Hand of God The Left Hand of God

1955

The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake

1970

The Shanghai Story The Shanghai Story

1954

Something to Sing About Something to Sing About

1937

Jonathan Livingston Seagull Jonathan Livingston Seagull

1973

Rogues' Regiment Rogues' Regiment

1948

The Miracle of the Bells The Miracle of the Bells

1948

The Shadow The Shadow

1940

Red Snow Red Snow

1952

Secrets of Monte Carlo Secrets of Monte Carlo

1951

Around the World in Eighty Days Around the World in Eighty Days

1956

China Sky China Sky

1945

Battle Hymn Battle Hymn

1957

The Story of Dr. Wassell The Story of Dr. Wassell

1944

Drums of Fu Manchu Drums of Fu Manchu

1940

Diamond Head Diamond Head

1962

Panama Patrol Panama Patrol

1939

Barricade Barricade

1939

The Big Hangover The Big Hangover

1950

Red Barry Red Barry

1938

The Creeper The Creeper

1948

Hawaii Calls Hawaii Calls

1938

Thoroughly Modern Millie Thoroughly Modern Millie

1967

Desirable Desirable

1934

Shanghai Shanghai

1935

Never So Few Never So Few

1959

Women in the Night Women in the Night

1948

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